


Fill the Gaps, Stay Liquid

by KeightCopper



Series: Mayhem Achieved [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV), Hawaii Five-0 (2010), S.W.A.T. (TV 2017)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:48:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23792605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeightCopper/pseuds/KeightCopper
Summary: Buck feels betrayed after leaving Bobby and Athena's, he almost called that smarmy lawyer. An unexpected call from his former CO caused a paradigm shift.Or simply put: Buck joins SWAT instead of suing 118, because I said so.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christina "Chris" Alonso, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Danny "Danno" Williams, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Steve McGarrett, Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: Mayhem Achieved [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702840
Comments: 92
Kudos: 605





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If it wasn't obvious from reading the summary, this is set after Triggers (ep 03x04) except the scene with the lawyer and the last scene with Buck and Bobby didn't happen.
> 
> Oh if you been here before and wondering why I keep changing the summary then you just have to keep wondering cause I don't know either. I just felt like it so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, I kinda went overboard with how overprotective, overbearing, father figures Steve and Danno are to Buck but I can't help it... I was affected by 3x16 so much... Like Buck need more family and people willing to show their love for him ya know... I did try to stay in character Hondo though...
> 
> Okay so just a reminder if you need to refer to character sheet [here](https://softbuckismykink.tumblr.com/post/614804061839130624/charlie-team) or some details in this fic won't make much sense.
> 
> Also, a reminder that in this universe Buck is also being referred to as Mayhem or 'Hem (in short)
> 
> If you are not familiar with Hawaii Five-O, Detective Danny "Danno" Williams is the commander's partner and in this universe, they are married. Danny has a daughter named Grace who is seventeen in this fic. I also mentioned Danny's parents, Clara and Eddie Williams but they don't appear in this chapter. If anyone needs visuals for these characters, just google images. Danno is played by Scott Caan, Grace is played by Teilor Grubbs, Clara is played by Melanie Griffith and Eddie Williams is played by Tom Berenger

After that disaster of a dinner at Bobby and Athena’s, Buck was really tempted to go to that lawyer. Actually, he is more than tempted, he almost went through with it. He was angry and wanted to screw with Bobby the same way Bobby screwed with him, his job, his life. The one person in 118 he trusted to have his back no matter what is the one person who does not trust him to go back, do his job, or have his back in return. 

So as soon as he left Athena's home and got into and started his jeep, he took out his phone and look up that lawyer's name but before he could even open the browser, his phone rang. 

_Incoming Call:_

**Cmdr Dad**

Buck pressed the answer button on his steering wheel then moved his gear to drive. He pulled out of the curb and started his drive back to his apartment. He's confused as to why his former CO, Commander Steven J McGarrett is calling at 9 pm, Thursday evening when his check-in calls usually happen weekend mornings. Buck opened and closed the mouth a couple of times before muttering, "Commander?" 

_"So you are alive!"_ came the deep gravely voice from his car speakers.

"Of course I'm alive, why would you think otherwise?!” Buck beeped at the car trying to cut in front of him.

_"Well let me see, five months ago you got bombed and crushed by a fire truck, then almost died in surgery and we had to find it out on the news."_

"That wasn't my fault,” Buck argued, moving to change lanes. “Plus I called you and Danno as soon they got me out of surgery. I didn’t even call my actual parents.”

_"Well, that is an issue between you and your parents. They raised you to think they don't care about you, that's on them. They certainly don't deserve the courtesy of a phone call."_

"Wow, that's kinda harsh, Commander," Buck noted, but his former CO was right, his parents were kinda shitty. He turned left at the stoplight.

 _"I call it like I see it, Mayhem,"_ McGarrett remarked as Buck kept right to merge into the freeway. " _Anyways, I know the bombing is not your fault and I appreciate that you did call us but it doesn't make Danno any less worried about your punk ass when you don’t return calls.”_

“What do you mean?” Buck asked not recalling ever missing a call from his former CO’s husband. If the Commander is like Buck’s pseudo-dad, Detective Danny "Danno" Williams-McGarrett is well he is _Danno._ And Danno is by his own admittance the soft, mushy, sensible, and responsibleparent-figure. He is also quite the nagger. If Buck were a braver soul he'd say Danno is Mom, but contrary to what Danno always says, Buck does have some self-preservation instincts left. So Danno is _Danno,_ not Mom. 

_"Danny is worried as hell when you didn't call him back when he called last Monday, what with the tsunami that hit the pier and all. Told him you probably were working.”_

“I didn’t know that Danno called or I would have called back.” And Buck would have, ignoring a call from Danno is akin to a death wish, one does not simply ignore a call from Danno, you'd better be dead or you'd wish you are dead. “Why is he calling anyways?”

_“To check up on you… you know how he is… Wait how can you not know he called? Doesn’t your phone log missed calls?!”_

“I may have lost my phone and it took me like a week to get a new one.”

_“How can you lose your phone for a WEEK?!”_

“Um, the sea ate it?”

 _“The sea ate your phone?!”_ There’s a beat of silence on the line before McGarrett realized what Buck meant, _“Don’t tell me you were in the pier when it hit?!”_

“Okay, I won’t tell you,” was Buck's glib reply. 

_“Jesus kid, what am I gonna do with you? You are lucky— Actually, no scratch that,_ ** _WE_ ** _are lucky it’s my call that you answered, if Danno talked to you first, you’ll get an earful about being a reckless, suicidal, Baby SEAL and then **I’ll** get an earful for teaching you how to be a reckless, suicidal, Baby SEAL, then where will the two of us be, huh?!”_

“I’m not a Baby SEAL,” Buck argued, hoping to distract he commander away from his worries. “I completed two years of SEAL training and served in hundreds of missions as a tier-one Navy SEAL for six years. That you are Dinosaur SEAL, does not make me a Baby SEAL. And being reckless and suicidal is not a learned skill it is an innate propensity. That you fail to train it out of me and teach me self-preservation skills is on you.”

_“Yeah, not that old... Also, you want to tell that to Danno, you go ahead."_

"And endure an hour-long rant about how our crazy SEAL training made us incapable of learning of mammal-to-mammal skills? No way!"

 _"Oh you'd wish it would be just an hour, I mean yeah maybe if you were lucky,"_ the commander joked, though they both know it's a more than likely scenario. _"And Mayhem?"_

"Yeah?"

_"Don’t think I don’t know what you are doing, I invented that move kiddo.”_

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Dad.”

_“Changing the topic, spinning a subject... That's textbook deflection, you know it doesn’t work on me, it doesn’t work on Danno so cough it up.”_

"You started it," was Buck's childish reply.

_"Stop deflecting or I swear to god, I will throw you in the shark cage next time I see you!"_

"Yeah, Danno did say that that became your go-to approach for intimidating a suspect. Which unfortunately for you, I actually like sharks, they are majestic mammals."

" _Mayhem!"_ the commander growled.

"Okay, okay, geez," Buck relented, "But it’s really nothing, Dad. I mean I'm okay now, there's the thing with the blood clots and the blood thinners but that's over and-"

_"Wait did you say blood clots and blood thinners?!"_

"Uh no?" Buck tried denying to no avail though.

_"Okay that’s it, I’m calling Hondo to check in with you, clearly you need some minding to and I cannot do it two thousand miles away."_

"You don't have to call Hondo," Buck groaned, "I'm fine, Dad."

_"I'll wait until Hondo himself confirmed that, Mayhem. You are lucky Danno's busy at court all day today and that Grace is here to distract him right now. Danno will probably call you tomorrow to check on you himself. Don't worry I'll cover for you, don't mention anything about the blood clots or tsunami to Danno or we'll both be dead, yeah?"_

"Yeah, yeah," Buck nodded even if his CO can't see him.

_"Oh and Mayhem?" McGarrett paused, waited for Buck to hum in acknowledgment before he continued, "Do both of us a favor and stay out of trouble?"_

"Oh geez~" Buck whined, but even without seeing his pseudo-dad, he could feel the glare of reprimand directed at him. "Okay. Fine!"

 _"Good._ _I have to go now and call Hondo._ _Love you! And also sharks are **not** mammals, Bye!" _

"Yeah, love ya too!" Buck said as he hanged up, shaking his head in confusion. Buck's pretty sure sharks are mammals... Aren't they?

* * *

If you told Buck ten years ago if that he'd have such a meaningful father-son relationship with his commanding officer and that he'll be calling said CO Dad, unironically, he'd probably laugh at your face and then proceed to punch it for implying he has some daddy issues, but that's exactly what happened with the commander. 

It started out as a joke, Buck and Stiles were the youngest Tier-One operatives at only 20 when they started, they were barely out of their teens and back then both of them did look like high school students. When word got around that McGarrett recruited two "teenagers" into his elite team, everyone was calling them names like McGarrett's Wonder Twins. So in turn, Buck and Stiles went with it and started calling their CO Dad, because they are such little shits who loves goofing around. Over the years though, the joke became so much more, especially for Buck who never really had a good parental figure.

When the detective married the commander, actually even before then, Danny had essentially adopted the 'twins.' The twins did the same with the detective, heck Buck basically imprinted on Danno like a baby duck. The marriage only solidified that symbiotic relationship. Buck thinks half the reason he survived his years as a SEAL and later on as a fireman was because of the fear he has of Danno, the detective would surely kill him dead or worse if he didn't try his best to make it home alive. 

Having Commander Dad and Danno as de facto parents is like having helicopter parents but worse because they are like black helicopters, you wouldn't see or hear them coming but be rest assured they'll be hovering. And Buck takes the brunt of the pair's overprotectiveness. Stiles, though every bit as troublesome as Buck, has a little more self-preservation and is a lot more well-adjusted having grown-up with a decent father. Buck, on the other hand, had negligent hoity-toity parents which meant that years of being neglected made him unable to comprehend the value of his own life and therefore tend to be more reckless and ready to throw himself at harm's way. Danno always said that made Buck a lot like Steve, so much so that Danny can't believe that there is no actual blood relation whatsoever between them. 

After Charlie disbanded, Buck was so afraid of being alone and losing contact with his team that he spent the first few months after getting discharge living with the Williams-McGarrett's home in Honolulu. Mischief was with him for the first two weeks but he was always more squared away than Buck so he had already arranged for a job with the FBI. Buck had no clue what to do with his life until Danno's parents, Clara and Eddie Williams, came by for a visit. Being that Buck is the only 'grandkid' available at that time since Stiles is left for the FBI and their actual grandkid Grace is on vacation with her mother in England, he's the one to show the older couple around. Buck bonded with them, especially with Grandpa Williams. Eddie Williams was a firefighter and he had a lot of interesting stories to tell and Buck enthusiastically listen. Those stories gave him the idea.

Buck knew he didn't want to go back to going to covert missions for the Navy or the Company, not without his team backing him up. But he knows he missed the thrill of pipe-hitting and door-kicking. When Grandpa Williams told him stories about his firefighting days, a light bulb lit up in Buck's head. He could be a firefighter. He said as much to Grandpa Williams who encouraged the career choice much to Danno's distress. 

Buck decided to move to LA to pursue his career choice and Danno was reluctant to let him go, but it wasn't really the detective's choice, after all, Buck's a grown man. But as a compromise, Buck swore to check with them every week. In the two years that Buck had been a firefighter, he only got seriously injured twice (he's not counting the embolism of course, which for Buck is a setback, not an injury, plus what Danno doesn't know...)

Buck says _only twice_ , but Danno liked to think once is enough and twice is way too much. Buck would argue that the other injury wasn't even job-related, he just choked on a piece of bread on a date with Abby. Of course, that argument would send the detective on a tailspin rant on how Buck shouldn't even be dating women old enough to be his mom and especially not women who would cut open someone in the guise of saving them despite the fact they have no medical degree whatsoever or even any hint of advance medical training. Buck would try to defend Abby and then the conversation would spiral from there. 

After about an hour of verbal sparring, Danno would eventually back down with a huff, and Buck would feel like he went twelve rounds in the ring with how exhausted he was. But Buck loved it. His own biological parents never felt the need to argue with him, they issue ultimatums and leaves Buck alone to decide to do what they ask or face the consequence. Danno argues passionately and sure that could get exhausting sometimes but Buck appreciates it for what it is, a love language. It's how Danno shows that he cares.

* * *

Half an hour later, just as Buck let himself into his apartment, he gets a text from Hondo. 

Mstr Chf Hondo   
  
**Mstr Chf Hondo:** Mayhem what the hell did you do?! Cmdr called, are you okay?!   
  
**Buck:** im fine... dads worried cuz I just told him about being at the pier when the tsunami hits.    
  
**Mstr Chf Hondo:** There’s something you are not telling me. The Cmdr said something about blood clots?   
  


Buck racked his brain up for an excuse to get Hondo off his back but he failed to think of one fast enough before Hondo texted him yet again. 

Mstr Chf Hondo   
  
**Mstr Chf Hondo:** Better tell me now, Mayhem don’t keep me waiting    
  
**Buck:** uh 2 wks ago thought I just have a charlie horse   
  
**Buck:** it turns out it was dvt and the clot went to my lungs    
  
**Buck:** i had to go to the er to get it removed    
  
**Mstr Chf Hondo:** That’s not the whole story I can tell BS when I see it. Tell you what I get off work in an hour, I expect you at my house by that time or else...    
  
**Buck:** But I’m going to go to work in 10 minutes.   
  
**Mstr Chf Hondo:** No you’re not, don’t bullshit me, Evan. See you in an hour.    
  


* * *

An hour after he got Hondo's texts, Buck is letting himself in Hondo's house, the older man gave him a key to the place when he moved to LA a couple of years ago. The house was Hondo's childhood home. He opened the door and all the lights are off, which clued in Buck to the trouble he's in. Hondo is most likely already inside waiting for him to turn the lights on before letting his presence known. So as soon as he closed the door, he turned the lights on.

“Do you know how I know you are not working tonight?" And there he is as suspected, waiting for Buck in the dark, like a parent of a teenager sneaking back home after midnight, waiting to confront their wayward kid. Hondo was seating in the recliner in the corner of the room, silently judging, or so it seemed to Buck. "I called Fire Chief Alonso, he said he had you on light duty, strictly desk job nine to five. So what the hell happened?!”

“Well, hello to you too,” Buck greeted, rolling his eyes at the black man in front of him. He threw himself on the couch in front of Hondo.

“Oh cut the bullshit Mayhem, tell me what happened," Hondo ordered arms crossed, "I thought you passed your LAFD requalification last week? Why are you still on light duty?!”

"Um, I told you about the DVT and blood clots right?" At Hondo's hum of agreement, Buck confessed, "Well, It happened the day I passed my CPAT for reinstatement, I was coughing up blood at my captain’s backyard and they had to rush me to the ER."

"You were rushed in the hospital and you didn’t even think to call me and let me know?" 

"I was there for like a couple of hours tops," Buck lied, he was in the hospital for a couple of days but knowing Hondo, he won't call Buck on that blatant lie if Buck would give him something else to focus on so he did, "I got sent my merry way after they took care of the blood clots and then prescribed me blood thinners."

"Blood thinners? Like oral or injectable? For how long do you have to take it?" Hondo asked one question after another, it's a trick Buck knew all too well. 

"Oral. Xarelto. And three months tops," Buck answered quickly and to the point to keep Hondo from getting too suspicious. At Hondo skeptical look Buck was quick to reassure, "I'm fine really, I even got a clean bill of health from my doc yesterday."

Hondo looked at Buck with an unreadable expression as he asked, "Doc said when you can get back on field duty?"

Buck nods as he elaborated, "He said that medically there's nothing preventing me from going back to active duty."

"Then what's wrong? Did you have psych evals? Was there something wrong with that?"

"Nothing. And yes I had psych evals but I was cleared there too."

"If there's nothing wrong, then you wouldn't be here right now, Mayhem," Hondo reasoned, "You'd be out there working, and probably attracting trouble and whatnot but you are here so there must be something wrong."

"There's nothing wrong with me," Buck reiterated. "But Bobby, um the fire captain said the concern was about the blood thinners I'm taking."

"Wait there aren't any regs against that unless you are taking it for a serious heart condition that prevents you from doing the job, but you said you were medically cleared."

"And I was! Twice!" Buck emphasized. "First, after I was done with PT before my requalifications, then after my ER visit."

"Then why?" Hondo wondered, "Did you talk to your captain about it? Maybe ask that he back you up?"

"I did, sort of," Buck shrugged and made a face. 

"Sort of?"

"Earlier I was having dinner with Bobby, and his wife, who invited me over for a chat," Buck explained, "I told them like I'm eating better, taking my health seriously and all that, then I asked if he could vouch for me to the higher-ups, tell them I'm ready to be back..."

"And he refused," Hondo surmised.

"Yeah, basically. Bobby told me I'm not ready," Buck slumped, "He thinks I'm a liability."

"I won't pretend to know your captain well enough to know his reasons but are you sure you are not just pushing yourself too hard, too fast?" 

"No," Buck shook his head. "I know I'm ready. For five months, I worked so hard to get back but Bobby doesn't even think I deserve it. If the one guy I trusted to have my back is the one stabbing it then I don't even know what I'm doing there, Hondo." 

"Hey, don't let this get you down, 'Hem. You'll get through this and you'll be just fine." Hondo got up and sat beside Buck on the couch, laying a comforting hand on his shoulders. "You've been through a lot this doesn't even rate on the top ten of the shitty things that happened to you."

"Yeah, this injury isn’t even the worstI ever got," Buck agreed and offered a tiny playful smile in return, "I mean remember that mission in Manila."

"Okay, I thought we all made a pact not to talk about that clusterfuck of a mission in Manila. So much for a Gucci* deployment," Hondo groaned at the memory. "I still have nightmares about seeing you covered from the chin down in cast and being so high on pain killers that you started singing Bon Jovi, off-key if I may add."

"Well, you and the rest of Charlie probably did. I was left out of that conversation though," Buck grinned, Stiles showed him the videos he took of Buck being a goof, but he has no real recollection of those events, "On the account of me having been high on morphine and giving love a bad name."

"Yeah you are right, that conversation might have happened then," Hondo grinned back, then added, "Or maybe it happened sometime in the middle of you fighting off a serious blood infection before the docs could wake you up, can't remember now."

"Well don't expect me to either," Buck snorted then added in a sing-song voice, "I did ~shake it up just like bad medicine~"

Hondo shook his head laughing. "And here I thought it's the morphine that made you off-key."

"Nah, it's an inbred talent." They grinned at each other as they let the joke wash away the awfulness of their previous conversation. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, and Buck just basked in the quiet comfort of having a close friend, a blood brother.

"It's getting late, and I'd rather not have you drive back to your apartment at this time, stay here then we'll talk in the morning," Hondo stood up and walked towards his bedroom. But before completely disappearing from view, he offered, "Maybe I can help you with calling Chief Alonso in the morning. Get you reinstated or whatever you want done."

"Thanks, Hondo." 

* * *

As soon as Buck retreated to the guest room he saw a notification from Snapchat. A message from his "little sister" and Danno's actual daughter, Gracie Williams. He opened the message as he sat down the edge of the bed.

@GeeMonkey sent you a snap!

[Image: A sixteen-year-old brunette frowning at the left-hand corner of the camera while behind her a short, blond man gesturing wildly at a taller man who is smirking down and has his arms crossed.] 

Caption: **_Danno and StepSteve are "loudly expressing" themselves, what did you do 'Hem?_**

You send snaps to @GeeMonkey 

[Image: Camera on Selfie mode, Buck shrugging at the camera]

Caption: **Did nothing, I swear**

[Image: Camera on Selfie mode, Buck frowning at the camera]

Caption: **Why do you automatically assume it's my fault?! Maybe M I S C H I E F did it!!!**

@GeeMonkey sent you a snap 

[Video: Two men arguing in the kitchen. A blond man frowning and waving about while the taller brunette prepares dinner, eyes twitching with suppressed anger.]

> _**Danny:** So why the hell did Evan answer your call and not mine?!_
> 
> _**Steve:** I just caught him at a better time, 'Hem said he just got out of work, when I called him..._
> 
> _**Danny:** So he is okay and nothing is wrong with him?!_
> 
> _**Steve:** Yes 'Hem's fine, nothing to worry about..._
> 
> _**Danny:** Your son is just ignoring me is that it?!_
> 
> _**Steve:** He's not ignoring you don't be so dramatic!_

Caption: **They aren't yelling Mischief's name, Brah**

You send snap to @GeeMonkey

[Camera on Selfie mode, Buck facepalming]

Caption: **$#!t I'm in trouble, am I?!**

@GeeMonkey sent you snaps

[Camera on Selfie mode, Gracie nodding vigorously, mouthing 'yes']

Caption: **I'd say huge @$$ trouble**

[Camera on Selfie mode, Gracie covering her mouth laughing]

Caption: **I'd pity you, but for once I'm glad it's not me,** **Brah**

Buck groaned out loud in the emptiness of the room. After a minute he got up, went to the adjoining bathroom, and relieved himself. He washed his hands then proceeded to opened the top drawer for the toothbrush he kept there for himself. When he returned to the guest room, he dressed down to his boxers, folded his clothes, and put it atop of the dresser. 

He went to lie in bed but sleep didn't come easy so he took his phone one and started googling the topic that has been bothering him since the conversation he had with the commander. He opened Safari and typed in the search bar: _are sharks mammals?_

* * *

The next morning at exactly 0500, Buck was woken up by the ringing of his phone. Buck groaned as he reached a hand towards the bedside table where he left his phone charging. As soon as he grabbed a hold of the phone, he squinted at the bright screen.

_> >>>Incoming call..._

**_Danno_ **

"Dah-no?" Buck answered, throat dry and voice groggy with sleep, as he pulled the phone to his ear.

 _"So now you answer?!_ " Danny berated loudly, and Buck had to pull the cell away from his phase and put the phone on speaker to save his ears, _"I call you three separate times for the past week you don't answer, but when your commander dad calls, you answer on the first ring? How do you think that makes me feel huh, Evan?! What am I to you?! A chopped liver?!"_

"I didn't answer Dad on the first ring," Buck groaned, not at all pleased at getting chewed out at, Buck glanced at the bedside alarm, ugh 0501. He quickly calculated what time it is in Honolulu, with LA being two hours ahead meant it's way too early in Oahu, "Danno, it's oh three hundred in there what are you doing up so effing early?!"

_"Actually it's 2 am here, it's still Daylight Saving so you're still three hours ahead, and I haven't slept. I've been up all night waiting for you to wake up-"_

"But I was not awake yet, you woke me up, Danno~" Buck whined.

 _"Do NOT Danno me, Evan. If you'd been responding to my calls then I wouldn't be calling you at such an inconvenient time! When I call you, I expect a response, you hear me?"_ Was the detective's stern reprimand. Buck would have answered in affirmative but he could not get a word in edgewise as Danny continued, " _I would understand if you can't answer the phone right away. But send me something like a text or even a smoke signal. Something to let me know you are okay. Heck, I have Snapchat, Viber, Facebook, Twitter... pick a damn app, I don't care if you send a coded message in emojis, as long as you let me know you're alive. If I didn't ask Steven about you I wouldn't know anything! I get you have your own life and whatnot but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for that. I mean it's not that hard to pick up your phone once a while, is it?!"_

"Danno, did Dad not tell you?" Buck was quick to ask the moment Danno broke off his rant to take a breath.

_"Tell me, what?"_

"That I didn't know you called cause I um, I lost my phone..." And the moment he uttered those last three words Buck regretted it. He should just let Danno rant at him rather than offer information. 

_"Lost your phone?! Like 'misplaced it' lost or 'some putz took it from you' lost?! Wait did you get mugged?! Is that what Steve isn't telling me?! Cause I know he's keeping something from me last night, that lunatic!"_ And Buck is right, Danno always spirals with the slightest hint of provocation.

"Danno, I'm telling you I'm fine," Buck insisted even knowing the effort would be futile at best.

_" Oh my god! You got mugged, didn't you?! Are you okay?! Of course, you're not okay! You might think you are but you're not. You are Steve's SEAL child, you'd say you are fine after you cracked all your ribs, take three slugs to the chest, and have both shoulders dislocated. Oh god! This is is why I've asked you to consider again and again to just go back here, where I can keep an eye on you. I know you won't listen to me, you wouldn't listen to anyone except your commander dad. Okay that's it Steve needs to talk to you--"_

"Danno! Danno! Listen!" Buck yelled at the handset, to no avail as he heard shuffling on the line, the opening of a bedroom door, and the rustling of the sheets. 

_"Hey! Steve! Wake up!" _Buck could hear someone groaning in the background, most probably the commander, there's a muffled conversation that Buck couldn't make out. 

What Buck did hear was the sleep groggy voice of the commander saying, _"Let me talk to the kid Danno." Th_ ere's more sound rustling sheet and shuffling footsteps before he heard the commander hissed on the phone, _"Shit Mayhem, didn't I tell you not to tell Danno about the Tsunami?!"_

_" What?! Did I hear tsunami?! I thought you said he didn't live anywhere near the coast areas?!"_ Buck heard the detective shriek in the background.

"I did not tell him anything about a tsunami, but Danno thinks I got mugged!" Buck explained hurriedly. Buck could only listen as the couple argues on the other line. Okay, Buck had enough, he needs to wake Hondo up for back up. He kept listening to the argument happening two thousand miles away while retrieving his folded shirt to put on. As soon as he did he grabbed his phone to head to Hondo's room.

> _"I swear to god Steven tell me the truth or..._ _" _the rest of the sentence was inaudible to Buck, most likely because Danno mouthed the threat instead of voicing it out loud.
> 
> It seems that the threat was effective in some way because the commander actually began confessing, _"_ _Danny, 'Hem didn't get mugged and yes he was in the pier after the tsunami happened, no I wasn't lying when I said he didn't live anywhere near the coastal areas."_
> 
> "Why should I believe you?! You lied about 'Hem being fine when he isn't so what other things are you lying about?!"
> 
> _"I didn't lie, I told you what you need to know."_
> 
> _ "And you don't think I need to know when my kid is hurt? What kind of logic is that?!" _
> 
> _"This is why we didn't tell you we knew you'd be overreacting, and you are!"_
> 
> _"Oh you think I'm overreacting?! What part of my reaction do you consider over? Is it the part where I resonably expected to be told the truth and all of the truth?! Or was it the part where I was rationally concerned about the well-being of my kid who is in a very dangerous place with recent history of earthquakes and tsunamis and crazy deranged teenagers that bombs well-meaning public service officials?!"_
> 
> _"It's the part where it's past 2 in the fucking morning Danno, and you are being hysterical."_
> 
> _" Now I'm being hysterical?! Let me tell you this you neanderthal animal--"_

"Hondo! Wake up! I need your help!" Buck banged on the older man's door and waited for him to emerge before explaining, "Dad and Danno are arguing... Tell Danno I'm okay, he won't believe Dad or me..."

"Wait did you actually tell Danny about the blood clots, are you guys nuts?! That's a conversation you should have saved for never!"

Danny paused in whatever diatribe he was on as he caught on to what Hondo had said, _"What did I hear blood clots?!"_

Buck disabled the mic before speaking, "Hondo I asked for help not to make the matters worse. Danno is way past hysterical, he doesn't really need to know about the blood clots. Please help?!" Buck hissed at the black man at his wit's end on how to calm Danno down from his hysteric episode. He turned the mic back on and said, "No, Danno, that's Hondo saying was um-" Buck froze not sure on what to say so Hondo snatched the phone from him.

"You see Danny, I said nuts, like aren't these two are nuts to be getting you riled up at, what is the time there?"

_ "About 2:30 am Hondo. But I thought I heard you say bloo—" _

Hondo cut off whatever Danno was saying. "I said Almond nuts," Oh god, Hondo thinks of the most horrible improbable excuses, but somehow he makes it work. "I just had this dream where I was buried in a pile of almond nuts and Buck woke me up. "

_"Wait why is Bubba with you, Hondo? Did he land himself in the hospital again? I knew they were lying about the mugging and the tsunami!"_

"No! Course not!" Hondo looked at Bucked and mouthed 'mugging?' to switch Buck shook his head and mouthed 'I'll tell you later' back. "Your precious Bubba did not get mugged and sure he was worked rescuing people in the tsunami, but he had gear and he knew what he was doing. Come on Danny! Relax! I swear to you Buck is fine! I'm with him and we are at home not in the hospital." 

_"That doesn't fill me up with confidence at all!"_

"I promise you, Bruddah! I got Buck here safe and sound and in one piece. You know I don't break promises, Hotshot," Hondo tried his patented charm offensive. 

_"I really don't believe you."_

"Come on now did I ever lie to you, Dans?" 

_"Not that I remember—_ _"_

"See! Tell you what why don't we call you when you get some more sleep maybe you just need rest? Okay? Good. Bye." Hondo didn't give Danno a chance to reply before hanging up. 

The proud black man turned to Buck, pressing the phone to his chest. "You know Kid, you should really take advantage of the distance you have from them, and learn how to quickly hang up. Let Smooth Dog take care of Danny himself. He's the one that married the crazy blonde you don't have to stay in the line if they are having one of their marital spats."

"But it's Danno, and they're fighting about me."

"That's not your fault, 'Hem," Hondo reassured the younger man. "And I'm pretty sure they are not fighting, they are bickering, it's like a form of wierd foreplay to them! I assure you they are having some kind of hate-sex right now."

"Ew!" Buck shuddered, vigorously shaking his head as if that could dislodge the images. "Disgusting! That's my Dad and Danno you were talking about."

"Oh I'm sowwie, did I offend wittle Baby SEAL ears?" Hondo talked in baby-speak as he flicked playfully at Buck's ears.

"Fuck off, Hondo!" Buck said swatting at Hondo's arms.

"You kiss your Danno with that mouth?" Hondo mocked and laughed before walking away towards the bathroom to relieve himself.

* * *

After the talk with Danno, Buck figured he should start calling around to see if a transfer to another fire station is possible. He loved working at 118 but if Bobby himself is the one holding him back then he's not gonna hold his breath waiting for him to decide Buck is ready. So he called around the firehouses in the area around his apartment and around Hondo's house, to see if anyone else is hiring. But no luck. Everyone he talked to lied said they don't have an opening. And Buck knew they were lying because they only bring up not having an opening the moment he tells them his name.

"I thought if Bobby won't let me back maybe I could transfer to another firehouse instead," Buck told Hondo when he got back from a morning run. They are in the kitchen, Buck sitting at the breakfast counter. “So I called the firehouses around the area but no one is willing to hire me.” Hondo reached into the cupboards for a mug, a bowl, and a box of the Cap'n Peanut Butter Crunch that Buck favors. He handed the last two to the younger man, the marched towards the coffee maker to see if it's done percolating. Once he determined that it was he turned towards Buck to say something, noticing that the younger man poured himself a bowl full of dry cereal and started to take a fistful of cereal and shove it in his mouth, thus making a mess in the counter. 

Hondo poured his coffee and pulled a spoon out of the drawer and hit Buck with it. "I taught you better manners than that, please try and remember that," Hondo lectured as he handed the spoon for Buck to use. "Anyways, do you want me to call Fire Chief Alonso?” Hondo offered as he got a glass of milk for Buck and put it in the microwave to warm it up. After Hondo makes himself a cup of coffee. “I could vouch for you, I’m not the fire chief's favorite person but I’m sure we could work something out. I still got favors I could cash out with the fire department.” 

"No use, the word already got around that my own fire captain thinks I’m a liability," Buck frowned at his bowl of dry frosted cereals, "Even if you got the fire chief to reinstate me, no other captains would willingly let me into their crew, they said as much when I called."

"Hey here's a radical thought, you were trained as a SEAL so what do you think about, doing something like that again?" The SWAT sergeant suggested before sipping from his cup of joe.

Buck chewed and swallowed his food, as he contemplated the question. "You know I'm not willing to re-enlist in the Navy. Not without Charlie Team. I mean I tried working with other teams when you all left, I even went in a couple of missions with Bravo but it's not the same."

"I didn't mean that. I meant, joining me at SWAT," the black man clarified, "I could talk to Commander Hicks if you want?"

"Wait I can do that?" Buck tilted his head in askance, "Don't I have to go through SWAT Academy first?"

"Nah, one member of my squad was a regular patrol officer, no SWAT training, until he was transferred to SWAT, he didn't go through the SWAT Academy before joining my team. He was able to keep up with us and he didn't even have half of your training," Hondo explained, watching Buck slowly decimate his dry cereals. "Of course you have to go through about a dozen assault drills with my team before we take you out in the field but it's not unlike the ones we use to do as Team guys." 

"Are you sure? What about your SWAT team?"

"They are pretty much easy-going bunch, as long as you can prove that you are competent enough to watch their backs, they'll welcome you," The SWAT leader took a breath, taking a small sip of his coffee, then added, "We are actually down one SWAT member right now, so you could fill in temporarily, for now, see how you like it and how you fit in. If it doesn't work out, I know my 2IC, Deacon is looking for guys to hire in the private security company he consults at."

"Okay, sounds like a plan," Buck bobbed his head while chewing.

"Good." Hondo finished the rest of his coffee in one gulped and ordered. "Take a shower. I'll lend you a shirt and pants. They'll be on your bed when you're done. You are coming to work with me today. I'll introduce you to my boss Hicks. If he agrees, you can get started with paperwork and whatnot."

"Now-Now?" The younger man asked, finishing the last of his cereal and drinking his milk in one gulp.

"Yes, now. Navy shower,** three minutes, okay?"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" Buck executed perfectly sharp salute, holding for half a second before dropping it and laughing as he walked quickly towards the bathroom in haste.

* * *

They were driving towards the HQ but Hondo miscalculated and now they are stuck in the middle of bumper to bumper traffic in 405, he was half tempted to turn his sirens on but he's not expected at work today, so he strikes up a conversation with Mayhem instead.

"You know McGarrett will probably feel a lot better to have you with me on SWAT," Hondo opined, as he drove them towards the Metro Command Center. "You being a firefighter worries him because it puts you in a number of situations he didn’t train you for, having to trust people he didn’t train to have your back and keep you safe."

"Commander Dad might be happy but I'm sure I'm in for another hour-long rant once Danno learns about this," Buck grumbled.

"Face it the only acceptable career choice if you are one of Danny William-McGarrett's kids is something that doesn't involve guns or being blown up, like maybe being a marine biologist."

"Yeah, you are right, too bad for Danno," Buck agreed before admitting, "I'd be a terrible marine biologist, I didn't even know until last night that sharks aren't mammals."

"Wait they aren't?" And Hondo would turn to regret asking that question as that activated Buck's obsessive need to share his knowledge like a three-year-old kid genius appearing in Ellen Show.

"No, they are fish, elasmobranch fish to be exact, and did you know that sharks..." Buck then went on to bore Hondo with the 100 random facts he read last night about sharks. 

"Did you know most sharks are cold-blooded, part of a reason they aren't mammals?"

"...Sharks have literal six-sense. They can sense the electric fields emitted by..."

"...Sharks can only swim forwards..." 

"...Sharks have no vocal cords..." 

Buck kept the facts coming even though he knew Hondo would probably be ready to kill him by the time they reach the SWAT HQ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gucci is SEAL slang for easy deployment, learned that one from watching SEAL Team (TV) episdode Dirt, Dirt, Gucci. Deployment in the Philippines is considered "easy" because most of the time they are put up in nice hotels instead of dirty barracks that they suffer through if deployed in middle-east...  
> **Navy Showers, I got this from H50, It's one of Steve's house rules, 3-min Navy showers. Danno vehemently disagrees with this house rules. 
> 
> Oh if anyone was confused by anything in this chapter feel free to ask. I did, after all, include two different fandoms that some of you may not be familiar with. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buck starts at SWAT, meets the 20-squad, G-squad, and a Hot Papi- er decent-looking Latino. Unsurprisingly to everyone except Buck, he fits right in. His only problem is telling Danno.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***A character’s views and opinions do not reflect the author’s views and opinions. Just please remember this when you are reading the fic. Also NONE of the information you read in here about police work or military or even places around the world is accurate. This is all made up because I can’t be assed to do more than a basic wikipedia research. Thanks. 
> 
> Nicknames:
> 
> ‘Hem - Short for Mayhem - Buck  
> ‘Chief - Short for Mischief - Stiles  
> Hunt/Hunter - Short for Huntsman - Dean  
> ‘Gale - Short for Nightingale - Lt Nico Kim  
> ‘Shoe - Short for Gumshoe - Paul Strickland
> 
> Notes: Additional Character Info for 9-1-1 fans who never watched Hawaii Five-0. I also briefly introduced Original Characters in this chapter
> 
> Grace Williams - Snapchat Handle: @GeeMonkey - Grace is Danny’s daughter with a woman named Rachel. In this universe, she’s the only child of Rachel and Danny (and Danny’s only biological child). She is now in college, attending UCLA, getting a degree in well I don’t actually know yet…
> 
> Eric Russo- Snapchat Handle: @Etrain - Eric is Danny’s nephew, Five Oh’s resident CSI and an awkward flirt.
> 
> SortaOCs  
> Sergeant II Luis Antonio ‘Deuce’ Diaz (FC: Gabriel Luna, 31) - SWAT code: Eddie’s estranged older brother. Former Soccer-player turned LAPD SWAT sergeant heading the division’s undercover unit (G-squad). He is an unabashed flirt and is a self-proclaimed equal opportunity lover. 
> 
> Officer III+1 Alexander Huang (FC: Harry Shum Jr.) - Venezuelan-born Taiwanese-American who grew up in an affluent neighborhood in LA. He is basically a trust fund baby but he lives to defy his parent’s wish for him to take over the family business. He is openly gay, and at times even flamboyantly so but he is the deadliest when it comes to close quarter combat, making him the ‘brawn’ of the team despite his almost delicate features. 
> 
> Officer III Micheal Broker (FC: Winston Duke) - an huge built-like a shit brickhouse African-American who is really a softy at heart. Despite his imposing figure he’s actually more like the brains than the brawn of the 40-squad. As an expert strategist with vast knowledge of pretty much everything, he is basically the guy mcgyvers them out of a terrible sitch. This makes him the ‘Brain’ of the team.
> 
> Officer III Thomas Jefferson “TJ” Grant (Matthew Daddario) - His team teasingly refer to him as the “Token White Boy” of the team. He is the tech nerd of the team. He dresses blandly in all black and yet somehow he still looks good since he’s also model level hot. Most of the times he is also the ‘Honeypot’ of the team since he looks devilishly handsome when he smile, as Alex would always tell him. 
> 
> CSI J. ‘Cobbler’ Smith (FC: Keiynan Lonsdale) - while not technically part of the 40-squad he is the ‘cobbler’ for the 40-squads fake identities. Although his official job at Metro SWAT is CSI, he often tags along in with the team’s mission and is unofficially the fifth member of the team with Golf . Cobbler is grew up an orphan in the streets of LA. Deuce treats him like a little brother
> 
> Also note about Charlie Team’s base of operations. I know typically SEALs, especially Tier One SEALs are normally based in Norfolk, Virginia but in case of Charlie Team they are based in Honolulu, HI, mostly for convenience sake. When I mention Pearl, I’m referring to the Naval base in Oahu.

“… And also did know blue sharks are really blue?! Like it’s an insanely brilliant blu—” The ping of Buck’s phone interrupted his very animated verbal presentation of everything shark-related and Hondo could swear that it was a gift from heavens above when the younger man suddenly went all quiet as he took out his phone and read the message. Of course Hondo had to reconsider that thought a minute later when he sensed the younger man’s distress. “Ugh this is bullshit!”

“What’s wrong?” Hondo asked as they entered the parking lot of the SWAT HQ.

“My landlord is, well essentially he’s kicking me out,” Buck said looking up from his phone just as Hondo put the car in park. 

“Wha- Why?” Hondo released his seatbelt and turned his attention fully to the younger man.

“So you know I’ve only been back to work like a week and before that I was out of work for five months, then there was my medical bills to pay, and you know I-” Buck explained head bowed in shame, pretending to text his landlord just to avoid seeing the surely pitying looks that the older man would throw his way.

“So what’s happening now?” Hondo prodded wanting to get to the core of the problem.

“Well I missed the last three months of my rental payments, and now my landlord wants me to pay the last three months in full or be out by the end of the month.”

“This month?”

“Yeah.”

“But the end of the month is in three days.”

“I know.”

“And you don’t have the money to pay for it? Didn’t any of my lessons get into that thick head of yours?” The older man sternly reprimanded. “I’ve always told you—”

“—save cash to stash,” Buck finished Hondo’s sentence to spare himself the lecture. “And I did have an emergency fund along with my spooker stash.”

“But?”

“But you also taught me not touch it unless I got into some FUBAR sitch.”

“And this you on the verge of being homeless isn’t?” Hondo prompted Buck to explain his logic.

“No, this is more like a SNAFU than a FUBAR,” Buck reasoned, finally lifting his head looking at Hondo with determined defiance. “Plus I’m thinking of moving out anyway. I mean I only got that apartment because my ex-girlfriend liked the place. I’m thinking of getting a more cheaper place in a more affordable neighborhood.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner, I could have helped you out, then you wouldn’t have to have been—.”

“I know, you could but I wasn’t exactly in a good place to for help. Besides how can I even expect you to help me when I couldn’t even manage the will to help myself?”

“Evan.” Hondo uttered his name, one word conveying the weight of the older man’s sympathy for Buck’s misery.

“I’m getting past that place, Hondo. This is just a minor setback, in a series of really fucked up set backs. But you giving me this idea and bringing me here, this helps a lot more than I could thank you for.”

“You don’t need to thank me, that’s what brothers are for.”

“We should get going or I might start to cry,” Buck sassed. The older man just shook his head at Buck’s classic white boy routine and motioned for him to get out the car.

“Alright, alright, follow me, Baby SEAL.” Hondo led Buck through the HQ towards the SWAT Commander's office.

It's one of the rare Fridays that the 20-squad have off so no one in Hondo’s team is around at the moment. So distracting the younger man by introducing him to his SWAT team isn’t an option. He said as much to Buck and then added, “Don’t worry if all goes well with Hicks, you’ll likely meet them on Monday when you join us for our combat drills.”

“If it doesn’t go well?”

“Hmm, then I guess I have to ship you back to McGarrett, let him deal with your whiny ass for once,” Hondo said teasingly as they make their way pass the empty boxing/sparring ring and weights area, Buck play pouted in response, which just made the older man laugh at him, “Seriously, if you didn’t get this job, which is next to impossible, it’s okay to spend some time with Steve and Danny in Hawaii.Maybe enjoy some ham and pineapple pizza while you are at it.”

“Ugh not you too! Let me ‘splain sumthin tah you, Hondo,” Buck said eyebrows knotted in a way that reminds Hondo very much of a certain angry blonde New Jersey native. “Pineapple and pizza shouldn’t co-exist in the same airspace! Pizza is mutz, sauce and dough,” Buck listed the ingredients with his fingers much like how Danny would when rants about such things, “You can add Pepperoni, if you want, but that’s it! Pineapple out!Fruit doesn’t belong in a pizza!”

“Tomato is a fruit,” Hondo argued with a smirk, Buck opened his mouth to retort but Hondochose that moment to sharply knock on the office door and at the sound of an older man urging them to enter, Buck forgot what he had to say anyway as he switched to professional mode and followed the older man inside the SWAT commander’s office.

“Evan, this is my Boss Commander Robert Hicks,” Hondo introduced Buck to the older gentle man wearing a polished suit sitting behind the oak desk. “Commander Hicks, this is Special Warfare Operator First Class Evan Buckley."

"Ah yes!” The SWAT commander stood up and went around his desk to offer a firm handshake to Buck which the younger man eagerly accepted. 

"Okay, I'll leave you two,” Hondo announced then turned to Buck and quietly said, “I'll be in my office doing paperwork, meet me there once you're done here ‘Hem."

“When Hondo called me to ask for this meeting I had my secretary pull up your military jacket for review, and I must say I'm impressed by what I have read or rather what I could read,” the SWAT commander said, “Like Hondo's a significant portion of your Official Military Personnel file has been blacked out so I will need your official form DD 2586, so I could justify hiring you to a position relatively equivalent to your military rank and experience." 

"You can do that? Don't I have to start from the bottom, start at SWAT academy and move up from there? Won’t the other officers in the unit question my placement.”

"Like I said I'm impressed by what little that I read, top of your BUD/s class, and you pretty much skipped Green Selection team. Also on record to have been one of the youngest operative to be inducted to a tier-one SEAL Team. Not to mention the two purple hearts, two bronze stars and the silver star you were awarded on five separate occasions.”

As the Hicks listed Buck’s accomplishment, the younger man couldn’t help but remember what he went through to accomplish those goals and how he manage to acquire those awards. “Full disclosure those awards were for getting blown up twice, refusing to be blown up once and barely diffusing a bomb in time, being stuck behind the enemy line, and barely surviving enemy encounter with all our limbs relatively intact,” Buck offhandedly listed the events off with his fingers, “In short, it’s pretty much a standard accomplishment of any Team guy. Really they were like Navy-version participation trophies.”

“I think on that we’ll have to agree to disagree, those awards are nothing to sneeze at son,” Hicks looked at Buck sternly, which made Buck stand in attention, and nod sharply, a gesture that seemed to please the older man who dropped the stern expression and nodded back in understanding.

“I’m quite confident you would do well and be able to keep up with the rest of SWAT and at the end of the day that’s all they are concerned about, that you’ll be able to keep up with them. And besides, I offered the same deal with Hondo about five years ago when I hired him as Sergeant One.”

The SWAT commander then turned back to his desk casually sitting on the edge of it as he gestured for Buck to sit in one of the sofa chair in front of his desk as he explained all his plans for hiring Buck.

“Since you were discharged as SWO1, I could hire you directly as PO3+1 with the opportunity to advance rank after eighteen months in service. That is, of course, dependent on how well you do with your PFQs and weapons re-qualification. You also need medical clearance and psych evaluation.”

“I’ll initially put you in Hondo’s team in 20-squad, to train with Sergeant Kay, but Sergeant Donovan Rocker in 50-squad needs a capable 2IC and I hope once you get settled into SWAT you’d entertain branching out working outside of Hondo’s unit as Donovan’s 2IC.”

“Yeah, that works for me but if you need me to join 50-squad right away, I wouldn’t mind working with Rocker. I’ve actually met the guy,” Practically the only one of Hondo’s SWAT co-worker that Buck met, since he moved to LA three years ago. Sure they met under pretty shitty circumstances were Buck 1.0 made a pretty bad first impression on the guy, though luckily he turned that around pretty quickly but that’s a story for another time.

“One member of 20-squad, that is Hondo’s team, is on medical leave so 20-squad could actually use your help right now. Plus 50-squad is on stand down for the next four weeks,” The SWAT commander explained pulling Buck out his musings regarding a certain SWAT team lead and a pair of handcuffs. “Anyways, take today to get familiarized with HQ, and I’ll have someone from HR get you started with signing the paperworks.”

****

“See I told you, you’re basically a shoo in.” Hondo grinned and playfully slapped Bucks shoulder when the younger man told him the news, as they were walking out of the SWAT HQ.

“Well, it wasn’t like, how you say?” Buck cleared his throat before trying to channel Hondo,“Fo’ sure, brah!”

“Oh yeah is that how you think I speak like?!”

“Now that mention it? Um no you speak more like,” Buck pitched his voice lower trying a different approach to give a much accurate impression of the older man, “Alright! Alright! Ain’t gonna be but alright, whatever you say man!”

The older man just shook his head in disbelief but the smile on his face clearly betrayed his amusement. The younger man in turn just smirk at the SWAT officer knowing he nailed his impressions. They shared a moment just grinning at each other in amusement, before Hondo shattered it with a pointed change in topic.

“So did you tell Steve and Danny already?” Hondo asks as they walked towards his car.

“No, I wanted to wait until after everything is official.” Buck followed his former and soon to be again team leader and explained, “No need to make Danno worried about something before it happens.”

“Wise choice,” Hondo nodded as he paused by the Dodge Charger’s driver side door “You wouldn’t want the angry blond freaking out on you so soon after his last freakout.”

“Exactly.”

Both “retired SEAL” (because there’s no such thing as former SEAL) made their way inside the vehicle and got themselves situated and comfortable for the drive back to Hondo’s place in South Crenshaw, where they have both decided Buck would be staying for the time being.

“I gotta tell you though, you better tell him as soon as everything is official because by then you are just delaying the inevitable,” the SWAT team lead said as he started the car and drove off. “You can’t hide this forever, Danny will find out, he always does. Remember that time he found out about that time your fire station was implicated in that ridiculous diamond heist and he sent Cpt. Rabb from JAG to bail you out.”

“Ugh,” Buck groaned, “Don’t remind me Danno and Commander Dad had a blown out fight over that one.”

“Hey, you know you are not to blame for Commander Chaos’ green-eyed monster problem, ‘Hem.”

“Yeah. I know. It’s not that,” Buck shook his head, frowning

“Then what is that pout all about, Baby SEAL?” Hondo teased.

“I’m not pouting and I’m not a Baby SEAL,” Buck pouted, to which Hondo tried not to laugh at as he waved his hand about. “It’s not a pout!”

“Okay, okay it’s a manly frown, you grown-up SEAL. Now enough with the delaying tactics and fess up!”

“Ugh… It’s just now that I know I’m joining you in SWAT, I’m realizing I’m just gonna keep worrying Danno and it’s never gonna end, is it?”

“Hey no matter what you do, Danny will always be protective of you. That means he will always worry about you. No matter what. And to be honest we all worry about you, Danny is just the most vocal about it.”

“Still I wish I could make him worry less about me. I’m a grown ass man and a trained and accomplished SEAL, he doesn’t need to worry about me.”

“Impossible wish you got there, Baby SEAL!” Hondo teased yet again but at the younger man’s fiery glare/pout thing, he amended, “Okay, okay, I meant grown-up SEAL… But what I’m saying is the thing with Danny is no matter how old you get or how much training you went through, he will always be worried about you,” Hondo said then he had a bright idea to follow it up with a fun tale that they both share to steer the younger man away from the dour mood he sank in. “Remember that time Alvez took you and Mischief to a club in Vegas with fake IDs. You and Mischief were barely twenty and Danny didn’t find out until two years later when you guys were already pass the legal drinking age, and he still went ballistic?!”

“In Luke’s defense, he didn’t take us, we dragged him bar hopping. And while I still maintained that he should have sent us gift baskets for introducing him to his wife instead of blaming us, I will admit that we did not really give Luke a choice but to take us to Vegas .”

“Which is exactly what you haven’t told Danny. You know Luke still complains about that. Luke blames you and Mischief for dragging his ass to Vegas, Hunt for encouraging the two of you and bailing out early on, ’Shoe and ‘Gale for not being there, and Commander Chaos for marrying the personification of anger. I guess Cool Hand Luke hasn’t gotten over getting dressed down in the middle of training at Pearl.” Hondo reminisced.

Buck smirked at the memory. He remembered that day, Luke was supervising an underwater drill for the recruits training at Pearl and while Buck didn’t personally witnessed the interaction since he was undergoing training of his own, one of the Senior NCOs nearby took a video of it. The video spread like wild fire among the enlisted personnel in the island. Buck found it amusing, Luke just stood ramrod straight, hands behind his back as Danno rants, paces, and gestures widely at him. The video only last about six minutes but according to witness accounts the blond was ranting for about fifteen to twenty minutes before someone else dare approached.

“I swear if I wasn’t the one rescued him from that incident I’d be getting blamed like the others too.”

“What do you mean rescued?” Buck is the perfect picture of skepticism right there, eyebrow raised mouth slightly agape. Then he snorted, “I might not have a proof of it but I bet my beloved jeep, Betty* bless her soul, that you’re the one who took that video and made the thing viral.”

“I can neither confirm or deny,” Hondo said brazenly in response.

****

After three days of PFQ, psych test, medical screening, and weapons re-qualification, Buck is ready and eager to start his first day as part of the 20-Squad. 

"Alright, alright, everyone meet our new team member for the next three months, Evan Buckley," Hondo introduced the younger SEAL to the rest of his SWAT team gearing up in the locker room. ”Mayhem, this is Sergeant Deacon Kay, and Officers Victor Tan, Chris Alonso, and Jim Street,” the older man said pointing first to the stern looking man with greying hair which Buck is the sergeant; then to the tall Asian, the short Latina, and a blonde young man, in quick succession.

"Mayhem?" Deacon asked, "Wait is this the SEAL brother you've always talk about?"

“Oh?! Is he the one who blew up Taj Mahal?” the tall Asian guy, Victor asked with an amused grin, “Or the one who got high on morphine and sang a bad rendition of Bed of Roses”

“Et tu, Hondo?” Buck mock pouted at the older man before turning to the rest of the team, “But just to clarify it was not Taj Mahal it was the Bachcha Taj and I didn’t blow it up, I would never blow up foreign nation’s sacred temple, I just threatened to, with a fake bomb.”

“No you were shit at making bomb and almost blew it up if it weren’t for you forgetting to connect the charge,” Hondo play punched the younger SEAL as he corrected him.

“So sue me, I wasn’t as good in bomb-making as Mischief is, but it all worked out in the end and nothing blew up so win-win!”

“Well I guess that answered my question,” Victor smirked at Buck mirth clearly evident, “You’re obviously the disaster bomb SEAL brother not the off-key Bon Jovi brother.”

“Actually that was me too,” Buck admitted sheepishly. “But, again to clarify, I sang You Give Love a Bad Name, I mean if I’m gonna be humiliated I’d rather the story be accurate at the very least.”

“Because that’s what’s important, accuracy,” Chris, the Latina SWAT officer, snorted laughingly.

“Yes, because fast is fine, but accuracy is final. You—” Buck started quoting, only for the rest of the team to quote in chorus with him.

“Must learn to be slow in a hurry.” Who knew the entire 20-squad was a fan of historical wild west too, must be Hondo’s influence.

****

LAPD SWAT Officer Evan ‘Mayhem’ Buckley’s first week as a part of Metro’s 20-squad was, succinctly put, a success.Not only does he fit well with the team, he feels welcomed and in sync with them like he had with Charlie team. Like he doesn’t have to hold back on the craziness because they are equally as crazy as him if not more.

Being with the 20-squad is refreshingly different with being with the 118 crew, not exactly better but more like well the closest word he could describe it was freeing. With the 20-squad, Buck can be just himself, his wacky, witty and wild self. Not that he ever pretends with the 118 crew but they only see his wacky and wild side, and whenever he gets a good idea and shares it, it’s treated like some sort of a miracle that he can think for himself.

Unlike in 118, at 20-squad and SWAT HQ not only was Buck thinking is treated like normal everyday occurrence, they expected that from him practically the moment he shows up to work.

Case in point when that second day when he was asked for opinion on a case that another team was working on. The rest of the 20-squad was on 1st shift patrol to cover 50-squad’s absence unfortunately for Buck he had yet to finish going through the drills with the squad so he was not cleared to join them yet. They are scheduled to undergo their last set of drills tomorrow so Buck figured, he’d come in get some weapons practice in while he can. He was just about to clock in when one of the uniformed officers informed him that Commander Hicks needed him in the briefing room.

Buck looked around and noticed five men besides the SWAT commander. On the edge of theconference table sit a barely older than a teenager black man in crisp white shirt and blue lab coat. In the chair next to him was a stocky older African-American in leather jacket. A seat away from the SWAT commander sit a lithe and lean Asian in a sharp and sparkly three piece suit. Closely seated beside the Asian is a tall white man with messy hair, dressed in smart but all black suit. And lastly at the other end of the table opposite Hicks is a… well there’s no other way to describe the guy but _a smoking hot Papi_ but just as the thought appeared Buck had to mentally swat it away, and amended his mental description of the guy, a decent-looking Latino with a sergeant two patch on his uniform shirt.

“Officer Buckley, glad you could join us.”

“Um sir, not to be rude, but what did you call me here for? Looks like you all are in the middle of planning an operation.” Buck said as he pointedly looked at the files, tablets and map scattered in the table.

“Yes that, I’ll explain it latter, But first let me introduce you to our G-Squad. This is CSI J. Smith,” he pointed to the barely past teen years young man who enthusiastically raised his hand as if it was a homeroom roll call.

“Call me Cobbler, they all do!” The kid offered exuberantly.

“Officer Micheal Broker,” Hicks motioned towards the stocky black man who stoically nodded in greeting. 

“Alexander,” the commander simply introduced the well-dressed Asian who winked at Buck.

“Yes. I go by a mononym, Cookie,” the Asian said when he noticed Buck looked puzzled at the commander not giving anything more than the guy’s given name. “All the greats do… Madonna, Beyonce, Kylie.”

“Wait you seriously think Kylie Jenner is one of the GOAT?!” The not-a-teen-not-yet-a-man, Cobbler asked incredulously.

“No hush you poor child, I meant Kylie Minogue, what you talking about Jenner for?!”

“Officer Thomas Jefferson Grant,” Hicks continued introducing the team as if wasn’t interrupted at all, pointing at the white guy beside Alexander dressed in all black.

“Just TJ will do commander, no need to dole out the whole presidential name, or I might get a big head like Alex here.”

The commander ignored the comment yet again and continued introductions, “And lastly Sergeant Antonio Diaz.”

 _Really?!_ _Does all hot papi have to be named Diaz?_ Buck mentally slapped himself at referring to Diaz as Papi yet again, even if it was just in his thoughts.

“Everyone this is Officer Evan Buckley, he’s a former Navy SEAL, he’ll be filling in the vacancy in Hondo’s team, for now.”

“We’ve been over this, Hicks. I don’t need another squad’s help for this operation, that’s gonna be too much toe dipping into the pool,” the Hot Papi, er decent-looking Latino protested, which Buck backed up.

“You know sir this is just my second day on the job,the Sarge is right I wouldn’t want to startmy career here by stepping on anyone’s toes.”

“I appreciate the support, Buckley but don’t call me Sarge,” the guy practically snarled. “Call me Deuce or call me Diaz, but don’t call me Sarge.”

“Both of you calm down,” Hicks sternly commanded, “Diaz, Buckley isn’t here to step on anyone’s toes.”

It took a minute but the hot-headed Papi (this one time Buck is letting that go, not mentally striking it out just yet)calmed down enough that silence descended upon the room before a well timed quip by the sassy Asian broke the stillness in the room.

“So what’s Token hot white guy number two doing here?” The Asian man asked before turning to the man besides him. “No offense babe, you know you’ll always be my number one.”

“Careful of what you say, Alexander,” Commander Hick admonished. “Remember I’m a white guy too.”

“Of course sir, sorry let me start again…” the Asian guy took a deep breath looking very much like an actor prepping to repeat his line, “So what’s Token Hot White Guy Number Three doing here?” He asked acting like the past then seconds didn’t happen, then with a deceptively straight but sad face he turned to TJ yet again, “Sorry babe you’re demoted to number two, the commander overruled but you’ll always be numero uno in my heart.”

“If you all just quit fooling around,” Hicks looked at everyone in the way that made them all sit up straight in the seats. “Thank you. I asked Buckley here not as a part of 20-squad but as an expert sniper. Buckley is rated by the Navy as one of their top ten snipers in the field when he was on active duty, so I’m hoping he can weigh in as an expert long distance shooter on this.”

At everyone’s look of trust and understanding, the commander continued, “Buckley, I’d like your opinion in the shooting at the City Hall yesterday morning. Our CSI, led by CSI Smith here have determined the possible sniper’s nest but when they went in and check everything was clean, no trace of our suspect.”

“Well let me see,” Buck stared at the diorama of the crime scene, looking at the still replica of the victim and the angle in which the bullet hit the body, and the written reports of the CSI that processed the scene and the ME that autopsied the body. It took him all of ten minutes to process all the information and the team waited for him patiently to give his opinion.

“Hmmm, first I would have thought the same as your CSI guy, just looking at the trajectory, the sniper’s nest would be here,” Buck said pointing at the building directly across where the victim was facing, the same one that was in the CSI report. “But factoring in the wind speed, the increase in temperature that day and given the accuracy of the shot, and the ME report I’d say it came from here,” pointing to a building in the opposite direction three blocks away from the victim. The SWAT commander nodded for him to continue explaining as he picked up his phone to give an order to someone, “It’s a harder shot to accomplish but not impossible, any long distance shooter with above average skill and excessive patience could manage the shot that building is less secure and easier to access.”

“So you saying that you can make that shot?” The kid, Cobbler challenged. “I mean Commander said you were one of the top ten snipers in the Navy, so that’s above average skill isn’t it?”

“I did mention patience didn’t I? I never claimed to have that in excess.” Buck smirked before elaborating. “The thing is three things must align for one to get that shot right, trajectory, windspeed and the change in temperature, the first two is easy to figure out and compensate for but getting the temperature to cooperate takes an incredible amount of patience. He wouldn’t have that accomplished in one sitting he had to have being planning this for weeks, even months. There’s no way he wouldn’t leave evidence behind. Sure he might have policed his brass, buthe would leave behind a strand of hair, candy wrapper, maybe even a cigarette butt, something.”

“Plus I know that building. It’s a less secure yes but there’s a lot of business operating there, no way can anyone not without anyone noticing. If we canvased and interviewed the workers-”

“No need for that.” Hicks interrupted not looking up from his phone, thumbs moving awkwardly across the screen. “Buckley was right about the building, I sent uniformed officers to the building and they just found a sniper’s nest in an office under construction on the 23rd floor,” Commander Hicks said as he looked up the phone from his phone. He then addressed the CSI guy and the G-squad’s team leader, “Cobbler your tech team needs to process that sniper’s nest ASAP and get me a lead on this shooter and you Diaz, I need you to prepare your team for suspect apprehension as soon as we have an identity of the shooter.”

The SWAT team leader nodded, abruptly stood up walking away in a determined stride that’s familiar to Buck. But surely Diaz is a common enough name, right? Plus Eddie never mentioned he had a hot cousin or brother in the force.

****

Finally done with his drills with squad-20, Buck went in early to gear up, the rest of his team has ye to arrive. So naturally this gave him the idea to give in to his vanity. He looked at himself in the mirror to make sure his hair just right before getting his phone out and opening the camera app. He was in the middle of his third failed attempt at a full body selfie, when he noticed someone leaning against the doorway, watching him.

“Here give me that,” Hot Papi (Okay by now Buck give up in reigning in his thirsty self) stretched his muscled arms out for Buck to give his phone up.

“Serge, I-”

"I'm just gonna take your pictures, I'm not gonna take your phone away, we're not in highschool," the older mand smirked as he demanded. “And I told you call me Deuce or call me Diaz.”

“Why not? What’s wrong with Sarge?” Buck asked and the older man looked reluctant to answer but the sinceremotiveless curiosity Buck showed convinced him to tell the younger man the short version of the ugly truth.

“Five years ago, one of the uniform officers recognized me while I was undercover. I tried signaling to him not to approach, but he was so green he didn’t get the message and he yelled out Sergeant! It had gotten him killed and would almost have gotten me too if my team didn’t arrive in time to save me.”

“I’m sorry,” Buck apologized, not knowing how else to respond.

“It’s not your fault,” The G-squad team lead said. “So are we doing this or what?”

Buck awkwardly posed for the picture, body straight in attention, not knowing what to do with his hands he just. stiffly let them hang in his sides.

“No relax,” Diaz commanded so Buck widen his stance and put both his hands behind him, “No not like a parade rest. Here,” Deuce handed Buck his phone before arranging Buck’s pose himself. Buck could swear he could feel himself blushing as Diaz placed Buck’s right hand over his crouch and his left hand on the loop in his tac vest. Then the sergeant stepped back and proceeded to take pictures. He then coached Buck in trying couple more poses and took a picture of those too.

“Wow these looks great,” Evan said looking very satisfied as the pictures the older man took. “I didn’t even know I could look good without filters.”

“You don’t need filters you just need good lighting. There’s warm lighting in here, makes you look leaner and makes your muscles pop.”

“You speak like a professional photographer,” Buck commented impressed.

“No, I speak I have like a teenage daughter obsessed with the ‘gram.”

“You have a kid? A teenager?”

“Why?” Diaz smirked and raised an eyebrow in askance,“Do I not look like a father-material to you?”

“No you just don’t look old enough to have a teenager just yet, Sar-” Buck started but remembered the older man’s pet peeve, so he just said, “Sargento, I meant to call you sargento not sarge. You know Sargento like the cheese, Not that I’m saying you’re cheesy. Not at all, especially when you are being salty. Please stop me before I dig a deeper hole.”

“You know what?”

“What?”

“I change my mind, you can call me Sarge,” as he moved towards his locker to get his bag. “But please don’t call me cheesy or salty, yeah?”

Buck just nodded feeling himself blush in embarrassment.

*

Buck looked down at the picture on his phone, making sure his picture is impeccable before posting it on snapchat. Making sure he has the right account pulled up. Buck, like most sensible younger millennial has two accounts of each social media platform the sanitized one for everyone to see and the uncensored one just for sharing stupid shit with friends. He made sure to make use of the uncensored one for one reason and one reason only, he’d prefer it if Danno didn’t see this one picture just yet. At least not before, Evan had time to prepare for the explosive reaction the blond detective would surely have.

[Image of Buck in tac gear with SWAT emblazoned in front, finger gunning at the camera]

Caption: I've joined the dark side! 😎

@UnmanagedMischief: So did you tell Danno yet?

@MayhemAchieved: Of course not, he'd kill me then he'll kill Hondo, then bring me back to life to kill me dead...😵😵😵

@UnmanagedMischief: Danno would do that or worse if he found out some other way and you didn't tell him. 

@MayhemAchieved: Like whut? there’s really nothing worse than death.

@UnmanagedMischief: Living with Danno’s disappointment?

@MayhemAchieved: You are right but you know how Danno can be. He was worried and was ready to lock me in my room at Commander Dad’s place when I told them I wanted to be a firefighter. I’m afraid he’ll just do it when I tell him I joined SWAT. You know how he feels about SWAT, ‘Chief!

@UnmanagedMischief: That they are the red shirts of law enforcement?

@MayhemAchieved: Exactly.

@UnmanagedMischief: What are you even afraid of? You are twenty-eight years old and about 2500 nautical miles away from our overprotective blond mother hen of a father-figure.

@MayhemAchieved: Actually it’s 2,225 nautical miles give or take a couple decimal points. And as if Danno cares about inconsequential things like age and distance. You know as well as I do that he wouldn’t let such things stop him from unleashing his wrath upon us mere mortals.

@UnmanagedMischief: You might have a point there, Bruh. Well, I guess all I can tell you is good luck!

****

@GeeMonkey send you a chat

@GeeMonkey: lmk when ur gonna tell Danno you SWAT now I’ll ➡️🍿 😂

@MayhemAchieved: Who said I planned on telling him anytime soon?🙄

@GeeMonkey: Well if you won’t tell Danno, I will! 😈 😈 😈

@MayhemAchieved: You wouldn’t dare…😠

@GeeMonkey: Try me!😜

@MayhemAchieved: Okay😤 lil sis, what do you want?🤨

@GeeMonkey: How bout you take me to coachella like you and Mischief promised last year 🙃

@MayhemAchieved: Hey if I ‘member correctly, we did take you as promised 🤔

@GeeMonkey: Yeah then you guys left me with Mischief’s high maka-maka girlfriend and boyfriend as my glorified babysitters. 😡

@GeeMonkey: They sucked all the fun out of going to a music festival. 🙄

@MayhemAchieved: Surely Lyds and Jacks aren’t that bad.

@GeeMonkey: 😩 They are that bad.

@GeeMonkey: I had an invite to this VIP lodge from this cute guy…

@GeeMonkey: but 🤴🏻👸🏼had to threaten to maim Oliver over some harmless flirting.

@MayhemAchieved: You’re underage, and from what I heard this Oliver guy is like thirty, they were just looking out for you, me and ‘chief would have done the same thing.

@GeeMonkey: 😒😒😒

@MayhemAchieved: 🤨Gracie, you were doing Coachella in-style like the Kardashians do,attending afterparties and meeting celebrities, you can’t tell me spending time with shady Oliver dude is better than where Lyds and Jacks took you to.

@GeeMonkey: finnnneee, so they were useful at that, but still, they’re a couple of ya know 🐓🚫‼️those two, ugh! 🙄

@MayhemAchieved: You don’t even have a cock 🤣

@GeeMonkey: It’s the principle of the thing, brah!

****

@Etrain sent you a snap

[Image of a hand holding an iPhone with an image of Buck in SWAT uniform, on the foreground, further in the background is a short blond man in a black t-shirt and cut-off jeans talking to a tall brunette in a polo shirt, boots and cargo pants.]

Caption: Brah I need 2 🎫 to coachella or else…

@MayhemAchieved: You tell Danno and I’ll tell him who set 🔥 to his favorite Bon Jovi shirt from that concert in ’84.

@Etrain: Not fair 😒... ☝️it was an accident and ✌️ you took Gracie last year and you’re taking her again this year. All I’m asking is for you to fork out 2 tix for me and moi lady.

@MayhemAchieved: You have a lady?! Someone’s actually crazy enough to date you?! 😂

@Etrain: You know what?! Fuck this I’m telling Uncle D. You mess with the bull you get the horns, Brah! 🦏

@MayhemAchieved: That’s not even a bull that’s a rhino! 🤣🤣🤣

@Etrain: I see you made your choice, your funeral man ⚰️

***

Buck just got back in his apartment after a busy day training with 20-squad when his phone rang announcing the call he’d been dreading ever since E-train send that snap.

>>>Incoming Call: Danno

“Danno?”

“Yes, you are correct it is I, Danno, also known as the last to know all things important like say how you join the elite ranks there at Metro SWAT.”

“So E-train told you huh?”

“If by E-train you meant my little rascal nephew Eric, then yes it is he who told me such a wonderful surprise.”

“Wonderful?” Evan asked, confused but hopeful. “So you’re not mad?”

“No, of course I’m not mad,” Danno replied and Buck was about to sigh in relief if it wasn’t for the olde man continuing his diatribe, “I AM FURIOUS. It’s bad enough when you decided to be a firefighter, now you’re telling me you joined SWAT?! Do you even care if I sleep at night?!”

“I’m going with what I know to do, Danno.” Buck reasoned, “I don’t know how to be anything else.”

“You are more than a government grown GI joe!” Buck winced that the Blonde’s loud voice. “You can go back here, go back to school get a doctorate in something you are passionate about. One that doesn’t involve shooting people in the face and putting yourself in danger!”

“I don’t think they hand-out PhDs in warmongering, because obviously you think that I’m all about being a killing machine, am I right or am I right?!”

“Don’t take that tone with me, Evan James Buckley!” Oh-Oh Danno busted out the fake middle names, this time Buck really hit a nerve. “That isn’t what I meant. In fact it is the opposite of what I meant. Dean is a professor, Nico is a surgeon, they were SEALs but they were able to transition to a safe enough profession. You can do so much more.”

“Danno, Nico is a surgeon yes but he is also a trained hotshot, voluntarily fighting wildfires in Washington and Oregon. Plus he works in that magnet hospital with all crazy stuff happening like bombs, and windstorms and explosions...” Buck argued, gesturing widely with his hands despite the fact that Danno can’t even see him because it was just an audio call. “And as for Dean. The guy might be a professor in paper but that’s practically his cover identity, he’s involved in something so hush-hush that he has to live in bunker. Hunter probably gets in to more danger than the rest of the Charlie team combined. I bet he faces death every other Thursday or something.”

“You are missing the Point, Evan.”

“What is the point?”

“My point is that UH has a great linguistic department, you can come back here, Bubba.”

“Danno, this is the life I choose, hell this is the life WE ALL choose. The thrill and the danger sure it excites me but what I find most fulfilling about this is helping”

“Why do you have to be such a good man, Evan James Buckley?”

“Well you should blame yourself then, cause you taught me to be one. And You know that’s the second time you called me James and it isn’t even my middle name, Danno.”

“I know but Evan the-idiot-Baby-SEAL-who-keeps-getting-into-dangerous-situations Buckley is too much of a mouthful.”

There was a bit of silence and Buck thought the call cut off but when he checked his phone the minutes is stiill going. "Danno?"

"Still here."

"Are you okay?"

"No I'm not. I'll never be again." Buck oppened his mouth to defend his choices again, but the blonde detective never let him have a word in edgewise, "I'm never gonna be okay BUT I'll always am and always be proud of you, Bubba." 

And for the first time since he started at SWAT, Buck could breathe easy. Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Yes I’ve named Buck’s Jeep, Betty. Fun Fan Fact, before Dylan O’Brien named Stiles’ Jeep Roscoe, fans actually refer to her as Betty, or at least the early Sterek fanfics do. 
> 
> **Spooker stash just refers to that stash of like fake passports and money that like every spy-like people have 
> 
> Also this chapter includes a lot of dialogue with back stories behind it, so if at any time you feel curious about a line or two, please feel free to mention it in the comments and I will find time to elaborate on it.


End file.
